Britain's soils are in a bad way, writes John Quinton, and the government is doing little to help - indeed its policies are making the problems worse. So concludes yesterday's Environment Audit Committee report on soil health. But are ministers bothered?
… Save our soils! John Quinton | 3rd June 2016 Comment … wp_20160405_12_36_26_raw-cut.jpg Britain's soils are in a bad way, writes John Quinton, … Environment Audit Committee report on soil health. But are ministers bothered? When …
From weeding, to digging and composting, watering and mulching, get to know the good earth better
… Looking after your soil: Clarissa Dixon-Wright's top tips … 2009 Ethical Living Green Living Gardening Soil Clarissa Dixon-Wright cdwsoil.jpg A Greener Life by Clarissa Dickson …
Human existence relies on healthy soils, writes Jane Rickson. But all over the world they are being lost and degraded by inappropriate land use, reducing their capacity to produce food and store water, nutrients and carbon. Sustainable land management must be incentivised to conserve this essential resource.
… Conserving soil: precious, finite and under threat Jane … Human existence relies on healthy soils, writes Jane Rickson. But all over the … to conserve this essential resource. Healthy soils deliver a wide range of ecosystem goods …
Modern agriculture - even among organic farmers - is often seen as a matter of soil chemistry, writes Lynda Brown. But an alternative view is gaining ground: that it's really about soil life. Nurture your soil-dwelling micro-organisms, and your crops look after themselves.
… health: Elaine Ingham's theory of the living soil Lynda Brown Sustainable Food Trust | 31st … is all about sustaining healthy and abundant soil life - and applying compost is an important way to revitalise depleted soils. Photo: normanack via Flickr (CC BY). …
Soils are naturally alive with complex 'food webs' of micro-organisms that sustain plants with moisture and nutrients, making them good to eat. But once the biota have been blitzed with agro-chemicals under industrial farming regimes, it's our health that suffers. One more reason to grow, and eat, organic!
… For healthy food we need living, organic soils Hannah Bewsey Katherine Paul OCA | 9th … Comment Health Food Farming Natural World soil-potatoes-sandy-lane-cut.jpg The secret of healthy food is healthy soil - as with these organic potatoes bursting …
Almost all our food is grown in soil, writes Peter Melchett. Yet we are treating it like dirt: spraying it with toxic chemicals, depleting vital nutrients, and releasing its carbon to add to climate change. With World Soils Day coming up tomorrow, let's change our ways - and renew our commitment to organic food and farming.
… It's time to celebrate and protect the soils that feed us! Peter Melchett | 4th … Toxics Films The Land Climate Change pd soil 1-cut.jpg Almost all our food is grown in soil, writes Peter Melchett. Yet we are …
The health of our soils is more important now than ever, says the Soil Association’s Helen Browning - especially with the challenges that climate change will bring ...
… Peak soil: act now or the very ground beneath us … Food And Farming Comment Organic Farming Soil Food Farming wheretheresmuck.jpg The health of our soils is more important now than ever, says …
It sounds like a modest ambition: France wants to raise the amount of carbon in its soils by 0.4% a year, writes John Quinton. But that represents a vast amount of carbon, and its capture into soils will bring a host of other benefits. We should all get with the program!
… France's plan to increase its soil carbon is an example to the world John … wants to raise the amount of carbon in its soils by 0.4% a year, writes John Quinton. But … a vast amount of carbon, and its capture into soils will bring a host of other benefits. We …
An eight-year research project into the nutrient content of food grown under three different organic gardening systems has left a filing cabinet full of documents, writes Matt Adams. Now he wants to analyse those years of accumulated data, in the hope that they can show the way to richer soils, more nutritious food, and healthier people.
… No-dig farming to sustain nutrition in soils, crops, and us Matt Adams | 2nd March … the hope that they can show the way to richer soils, more nutritious food, and healthier … conventional ploughing or digging, turning soil upside down on its head each year, it's …
Scientists confirm climate feedback with warmer temperatures turning soils into a net carbon contributor.
… Warmer soil stores less carbon Brendan Montague | 18th November 2021 | News Climate Breakdown Soils Food And Farming University Of Exeter … Stockholm University Earth System Models soilhands.jpg Scientists confirm climate …
First global analysis of world’s most abundant creatures reveals more animals live in the far north than the tropics.
… tropics. Groundbreaking new research into the soil beneath our feet transforms our … are found in high-latitude sub-arctic soils. The Crowther Lab study is the first to map the global distribution of soil nematodes, tiny creatures also known as …
A new system for cleaning soils contaminated with industrial toxins harnesses the power of White rot - a common fungus that decays fallen wood in forests. Research in Finland shows it can also destroy dioxins and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons.
… Fungi clean contaminated soils The Ecologist | 22nd May 2014 News … white-rot-3.jpg A new system for cleaning soils contaminated with industrial toxins … wood in forests can be harnessed to clean soil polluted with toxic, persistent organic …
Soil is a neglected and vital issue. Can the House of Lords protect the UK soils where the House of Commons has so far failed?
… Soil on troubled waters Natalie Bennett | 26th October 2021 | Comment Soil Food And Farming House Of Lords Green … Party COP26 Editor’s Picks Climate Breakdown soilhands.jpg Soil is a neglected and vital …
'We need to move food, farming and land stewardship into a radical new direction.'
… Stop soil erosion Staff Reporter | 9th January 2020 News Soil Management Green New Deal Food And Farming Thought Leaders soilhands.jpg 'We need to move food, farming …
Environmentalist and Humanitarian, Satish Kumar introduces the new trinity that he believes captures the essence of his ecophilosophy - one that cares about and for all life
… Soil, Soul and Society Satish Kumar | 7th … at the top of this new trinity is the word soil, which represents the entire natural world, since without soil there is no food and without food there …
Four trustees of the Soil Association just resigned, 'more in sorrow than in anger'. Joanna Blythman, Lynda Brown, Andrew Whitley and former Ecologist editor Pat Thomas all decided they were unable to contribute further to the organisation, the UK's leading organic certifier and the 'mother ship' of British organic farming.
… Soil Association must get back to its roots … leek-picking-cut.jpg Four trustees of the Soil Association just resigned, 'more in … farming. We expect fellow members of the Soil Association will wonder why we resigned. …
Riverford founder has released a 'video rant' to coincide with World Soil Day.
… End soil ‘violence’ to protect food future Brendan Montague | 5th December 2018 News Soil Earth Food And Farming Agriculture … a 'video rant' to coincide with World Soil Day. Treating soil less 'violently' and …
A study of GMO cotton varieties shows they disrupt an important beneficial soil fungus, writes Eva Sirinathsinghji, apparently due to the Bt insecticide they are engineered to express. Disruption caused by the transgenic cotton to mycorrhizal fungi, and the wider soil ecosystem, may underlie the low yields and poor pest resistance now endemic among Bt GM crops.
… Vital soil fungi damaged by GMO Bt cotton Dr Eva … shows they disrupt an important beneficial soil fungus, writes Eva Sirinathsinghji, … cotton to mycorrhizal fungi, and the wider soil ecosystem, may underlie the low yields …
After more than 20 years work, Mike Hands, a British tropical ecologist has come up with a groundbreaking way to stop vast areas of rainforest destroyed
… the same questions plagued him. Why did the soil become infertile so quickly, compelling … night he pored over books and journals on soil husbandry, organic gardening and farming. … they were full of techniques for keeping soil fertile, they shed very little light on …
Biochar - the charcoaled remains of agricultural waste - is being hailed as a huge opportunity to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But is the science sound, and do we have enough waste to go around?
… quantities of fine-grained charcoal to the soil. When biomass is exposed to high … and ‘biochar’ (the name for charcoal used in soils) can be produced in small stoves, but a … charcoal down and ploughing it into the soil can dramatically reduce atmospheric CO 2 …
There's only one real faultline in farming, writes David R. Montgomery, and it's not the one between organic and 'conventional'. What really matters is whether farming systems are building, improving and nurturing soils - or exploiting them for short term gain. And if we want to keep humans well fed and healthy for the long term, there's only one choice to make.
… to feed the world? The answer lies in healthy soils David R. Montgomery University of … Comment Farming Food The Land Organic healthy-soil-cut.jpg There's only one real faultline … systems are building, improving and nurturing soils - or exploiting them for short term …
There's no such thing as 'healthy food' if it's not produced by sustainable farming systems on living soils, Patrick Holden told the recent 'Food: The Forgotten Medicine' conference. But after 70 years of industrial farming, there's a huge job to be done to restore our depleted soils and the impoverished genetic diversity of our seeds and crops.
… Good nutrition begins in healthy soils Patrick Holden | 7th September 2016 … by sustainable farming systems on living soils, Patrick Holden told the recent 'Food: … a huge job to be done to restore our depleted soils and the impoverished genetic diversity …
Soil-free farms could help take some of the pressure off traditional agricultural systems while we instigate a much needed step-change in farming policy.
… Soil erosion 'greatest threat to planet' Duncan Cameron | 23rd May 2019 News Soil Erosion Science & Systems img_9881.jpg Soil-free farms could help take some of the …